Chimney sweeper



March 24, 1925. 1,530,557

H. GRUBE ET AL CHIMNEY SWEEPER Filed April 18, 1922 y INVENTORS W wish?uwgejwz ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 19258 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY GRUBE, 0F JERSEY CITY, AND GEORGE JUST, OF I-IOIBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

CHIMNEY $WEEPER.

Application filed. A ril 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,495.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HARRY GnUBn and GEORGEJosT, citizens of the United States, and residents of Jersey City andHoboken, respectively, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chimney Sweepers,of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to improvements in chimney cleaners.

Its objects are to provide an inexpensive and efl'ective apparatus ofthis kind, which is easy to operate and has the advantage of beingautomatically guided within the chimney and'against its walls, and isparticularly adapted to clean chimneys or ducts which are curved,recessed or sloping at any of their portions.

Another object of ourinvention is to provide hinged cleansing means, soconstructed as to effectively bear against the walls of a chimney andadjust themselves to varying distances between the walls automaticallyand without necessitating special operating means for causing suchadjustment.

Another object of our invention is to provide a rest or stop plateadapted to limit the downward motion of said cleansing means.

A still further object of our invention is to provide in connection withthe cleansing means individual stop devices adapted to limit eachcleansing member individually in its swinging motion, and prevent itfrom tipping over.

Another object of our invention is to pro vide an armored weight memberwhich not only serves as weight, but also for removing obstructionswithin the chimney, as for instance, bricks, and it is so constructed asto readily break through such obstructions.

Another object of our invention is to pro vide in connection with suchweight member, guide means whereby the cleansing members are guided toengage the walls in proper relation thereto, and are moved substantiallycentrally within such chimney whether the latter is straight, curved, orof any other shape.

Another object of our invention is to provide stop means associated withthe guide member adapted to hold the latter in proper engagement withits suspension.

A further object of our invention is to provide a swivel joint betweenthe plate member and the weight member facilitating the latter to swingin any desired direction.

The foregoing and further objects will be more fully apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, and in which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our device, placed within achimney.

Figure 2 is a top view thereof, showing our device in operation.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 denotes the straight vertical partof a chimney, which latter continues at 11 at an incline. Suspended bycable 12, which engages a link 18 of suspension member 14, is a plate 15preferably of rectangular shape.

Attached thereto by means of eye-bolts 16 are generally U-shaped hingemembers 17 actuated by coil springs 18, which latter are adapted topress hinge members 17 outwards. Pivotally attached to said hinge.members at 19 are cleansing means 20 provided in the present case withstiff brushes indicated at 21, adapted to bear against the walls ofchimney 10, as shown in broken linesat 21'.

Associated at 22 with the cleansing members 20 are anchoring members 23engaging with their hook ends 24 the link 13. They are made releasableby means of cords 25. However, they may also be operated direct- 1y byhand.

Plate 15 serves not only as support for the Ushaped hinge members, butlimits also the downward movement of the cleansing means, as indicatedin broken lines at 21". Attached to the body of the cleansing members at26 are loops 27 engaging the arms of hinge members 17 and are so arranged as to limit the swing of the cleansing members about theirpivotal point 19. At the lower end of suspension member 14, to which isattached at 28 the plate 15, a hinge is formed at 29 from which dependsa bolt 30 passing through a loop 31 of the weight member 32.

The end of; the bolt is provided with a head 38, which permits weight 32to swivel while hinge 29 permits it to swing. The weight is armored, asindicated at 84, so as to facilitate the breaking of any, obstructionsgathered within the chimney when the apparatus is placed thereinto.

It will be observed that the wei ht is of general cone shape, whichshape acilitates the breaking of obstructions. At its reduced end thereis provided a fork 35 in which is hingedly mounted at 36 an arm 37 ofthe guide member 38, which is shown to be a wheel adapted to bearagainst the wall of the chimney. Arm 37 is prevented from swinging indownward direction by a pin 39 which bears against the fork 35.

In operation our device is first placed into the chimney, as shown inFig. 1, while the cleansing members 20 are anchored to link 13. Now theanchoring members 23 are released, thereby permitting springs 18 toforce cleansing means 21 against the wall of chimney 10. Guide member 38also bears against the wall and causes, when our device is lead into thechimney, to guide not only the weight member 32 but also the cleansingmeans, substantially centrally within the chimney no matter whether itsshape is straight vertical, curved or otherwise deflected.

It will be seen that the spring actuated cleansing members cooperatewith the guide member 38, when it is assumed that our device travels ata slant. When it is desired to draw back our device, without wanting toproceed with cleansing of the chimney in upward direction, whichsometimes is desirable, the rope 25 is pulled upwards, thereby causingcleansing members 22 to travel toward each other and release the chimneywall. Then cable 12 is operated in upward direction and our apparatusmoves, being guided by wheel 38, to the mouth of the chimney.

It will be seen that our device is very simple in manufacture andeffective in its operation. It is of course obvious that we shall not belimited to the actual showing and we reserve for ourselves the right tomake changes, improvements or modified designs without departing fromthe broad scope of our invention, for which we claim 1. A new article ofmanufacture, comprising a spring controlled cleansing member, arotatably mounted weight member associated with the latter, andmeansconnected with said weight member for directing and positioningsaid cleansing member within a chimney.

2. A new article of manufacture, comprising a spring controlledcleansing member, a cleansing member rest means for limiting themovement of said cleansing member when not in operation, a rotatableweight member associated with said rest means, and guide meansassociated with said weight member and adapted to directing thepositioning of said cleansing member within the walls of the chimney. I

3. In a new article of manufacture, a plurality of spring controlledcleansing members adaptedto bear against the walls of a chimney or thelike, rest means connected with said cleansing members and adapted tolimit their movement when freed of the chimney walls, a swivellysuspended weight member associated with said rest means and meansconnected with said weight member for directing said cleansing andweight members over the contours of a chimney wall.

4. In a chimney cleaning device, aplurality of spring actuated cleansingmembers, a

rest plate disposed below said cleansing members and adapted to limittheir movement when freed of the chimney walls, a weight memberassociated with said plate, a swivel joint connecting it to said plate,and guide means suspended from said weight member adapted to lead saidcleansing means in proper relation to and over the contour of chimneywalls.

5. In a chimney cleansing, device, a plurality of spring actuatedcleansing means adapted to bear against the walls of a chimney, a restplate serving as support and adapted to limit the movement of saidcleansing means when not restrained by the walls of the chimney,releasable anchoring means for keeping said cleansing means. ininoperative position when desired, a weight member disposed below saidplate, a swivel joint connecting the former to the latter, a guidemember associated with said weight member and adapted to guide saidcleansing means relative to the walls of a chimney.

6. A chimney cleansing device, comprising in combination, a suspensionmember, a rest plate secured thereto, a pair of hinged spring actuatedcleansing members associated with said plate, releasable anchoring meansconnected with each cleansing member, guards provided with eachcleansing member limiting their individual swinging motion, a swiveljoint associated with said suspension member and below said rest plate,a weight suspended from said joint, guide means depending from saidweight adapted to guide and keep said cleansing means in proper relationto the walls of a chimney.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this14th day of April, A. -D.-1922. I

' HARRY GRUBE.

GEORGE J 0ST.

